Hermitage Amsterdam and Amstelhof

Silver wonders from the east

Introduction

After the 16th century – as the world was discovered and the trade routes by sea developed – silver objects in filigree found their way to the West. European rulers such as Louis XIV, Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg and Amalia van Solms displayed their collections in special cabinets. But almost all these collections have been lost, dispersed or melted down. The only one that has been preserved is that of the Tsars. New research has been carried out into the large collection built up by Peter the Great and Catherine the Great and it has been reconstructed from the many departments of the Hermitage. The objects were made in China, India and Indonesia specially for the European market. These are ancient secrets that have been rediscovered in the rich collections of the State Museum the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.